The present exemplary embodiment relates to processing a print job by analyzing printer description language (PDL) image data, determining a raster image process (RIP) orientation, and processing the PDL image data to form raster image data in the RIP orientation. It finds particular application in conjunction with a solid ink jet (SIJ)-based printing platform with an integrated marking engine (IME). However, it is to be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments described herein are also amenable to various other types of printing platforms and other types of print engines, such as a laser-based printing platform with an image output terminal (IOT).
In printing platforms, the page orientation for RIP has traditionally been based on the page orientation for image data preferred by the print engine. For example, the controller for a laser scan-based IOT is set to RIP in the long edge (i.e., landscape) orientation for a letter size print job because the corresponding laser printer is set up to feed letter size target substrate pages for the print job in a long edge (i.e., landscape) orientation and a laser scan in the IOT runs in a cross-process direction relating to the long edge of the target substrate pages. Conversely, the controller for a SIJ-based IME is set to RIP in the short edge (i.e., portrait) orientation for the same letter size print job because, even though the corresponding SIJ printer is set up to feed letter size target substrate pages for the print job in a long edge (i.e., landscape) orientation, ink-jets in the IME are arranged in a process direction. Thus, the IME prefers image data to be arranged in short edge (i.e., portrait) orientation.
Depending on the content of the document to be printed, RIP time can have a significant impact on total print time (i.e., time from activation of a print command or print control that starts the print job to delivery of the finished print job to an output tray on the printing platform). The total print time may be referred to as click-to-clunk (C2C) time. The difference in C2C time between RIPing a print job in one orientation versus the transverse orientation can be significant, particularly for documents having certain types of content. For example, this is a problem for PowerPoint (PPT) files with complex contents (e.g., graphics objects, image objects, or any combination thereof) if the files are designated for printing from the application program in an orientation transverse to the orientation for RIP in the printing platform. PostScript (PS) or printer control language (PCL) files generated from printing these PPT files using the PowerPoint application program may contain a lot of single pixel strips of graphics or image objects. For example, if landscape orientation is selected in the PowerPoint application program for printing the PPT file and the printing platform RIPs in the short edge (i.e., portrait) orientation, RIP time may be increased by a factor of three or four times over what the RIP time would be if the orientation selected for printing and the orientation for RIP matched.
Certain printer customers may have escalated issues when it comes to replacing an existing laser-based printing platform with an SIJ-based printing platform if print times are significantly slower. The complaint may be that first set out times (FSOTs) for at least some of the customer's documents are excessive for the SIJ-based printing platform in relation to those previously experienced for the same documents when printing with the laser-based printing platform. A task force at Xerox reviewed concerns raised by certain customers in order to understand factors contributing to this problem and suggest potential solutions. The goal of the task force was to find solutions that would improve performance across various types of printing platforms beyond a benchmark performance achieved by a laser-based printing platform with a single board controller (SBC) configuration.
With reference to FIG. 1, the Xerox task force analyzed several existing products and observed speed improvements in C2C and RIP times when comparing SIJ-based printing platforms with SBC configurations to comparable SIJ-based printing platforms with multi-board controller configurations (e.g., common board controller (CBC) configurations). Performance improvements were also observed in SIJ-based printing platforms when faster processers, comparable to processors used in laser-based printing platforms, were implemented in the controllers for the corresponding SIJ-based printing platform. The chart in FIG. 1 shows exemplary C2C times observed by the Xerox task force. Please note that the data is shown for illustration of the general issue. “Noise” and other factors may be causing some variance in some specific data points represented in the chart.
In particular, the Xerox task force observed that certain customers with both laser-based printing platforms and SIJ-based printing platforms noticed large discrepancies in C2C times between the different platforms, especially in printing complex PowerPoint documents in a landscape orientation. While customers can understand performance reduction due to known differences in laser-based and SIJ-based printing and known design tradeoffs between the different printing platforms, the significantly slower printing performance for at least certain documents creates uncertainty about the achievable print performance in SIJ-based printing platforms. Therefore, improved processing with reduction in RIP time and C2C time to improve performance in certain types of printing platforms is desired, particularly for SIJ-based printing platforms. Improved processing with reduction in RIP time and C2C time to increase printing performance for certain types of documents is also desired, particularly for PowerPoint documents and other types of documents with complex content (e.g., graphics objects, image objects, or any combination thereof).